


hold me tight (or don't)

by jehobvihosabi



Series: Persona [2]
Category: Persona 5
Genre: F/F, Futago Siblings, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-18
Updated: 2019-09-03
Packaged: 2020-09-06 13:55:11
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,868
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20292565
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jehobvihosabi/pseuds/jehobvihosabi
Summary: All the blood seeping through marked hands,and it wasn’t enough.Never enough.Never enough.(He was never enough).





	1. 藏污纳垢

The body that clung tightly onto his own sparked a flare of warmth, warmth which wasted no time seeping deeply into his limbs, chasing away the chill, warming them from the outside in. The sudden intimacy was a shock— a deep one— but even so, more than that, the arms he returned the embrace with were hesitant, halting in their slow movement. 

Akira didn’t know how long they stood together, the almost desperate hold resulted in a moment, a scene ever so fragile— _one that could break apart at any moment_. 

“I hate you.” Soft words whispered themselves into the crook of his neck. 

Akira sucked in a winded breath, no words to be said. _He never knew what to say. _So instead of pointless words that didn’t mean a thing, he dug his fingers in deeper, tightened his arms, enclosing the detective fully within his grasp. His chin came to rest upon the crown of Goro’s head. And still. He didn’t say a thing. 

He closed his eyes. 

And somehow. 

The moment didn’t break. 

They were two pieces of jagged glass that didn’t fit. 

Yet still, _they didn’t break_. 

  



	2. 请多关照

Standing at the foot of the stairs, he stared. Sojiro was laughing— a full, loud laugh— clear as a bell, ringing out across the room, and the one who put him in such a state— someone he’d never seen before, but someone who Sojiro surely was familiar. It was a picturesque scene. Seeing it, witnessing this display— _it was like_— 

Akira hadn’t made any movement, any sound, yet easily still, the stranger spotted him. Akira tugged at his hair and gave a small wave, mustering up the smallest of smiles. Twin expressions blanking into shock greeted him; harmonious atmosphere dropped. His own lips drooped, his sad attempt easily falling away as if it hadn’t even existed in the first place. 

Sojiro looked at the clock and cursed colorfully— _thankfully_, into an empty cafe. “Look at the time. I have to...” He sighed as he rubbed the back of his neck. 

He turned to regard Akira, a wary expression surfacing on his weathered face. Another sigh and then a beckoning motion. He could see the way just his presence weighed down those shoulders. Akira’s lips drooped even further. 

He stepped forward— reluctantly so, making his way to the duo. He kept his gaze locked onto the ground, focused firmly down, but he could still feel the way the curious stare of the only other person present in the empty cafe tracked his careful approach, the intent gaze a tangible brand onto the side of his face. 

Sojiro coughed— _Akira shot his head up_— and gestured to the stranger— _gaze caught_. “This is my son. I guess it’s about time you guys met.” Sojiro released a slow breath before continuing, voice gruff. “Since you’ll be living here and all.” A full sigh erupted at that statement and Akira considered offense— _Sojiro hadn’t even bothered to introduce him_— but then again, he thought— _effort_, and worse still, _attention_. 

With an— unexpected, he had only ever seen mild disappointment on that face— smile directed at who was apparently his son, “I have to go. Lock up, will you? And look after this troublemaker for me.” 

“Of course.” The voice that replied was rich, the words, themselves— smooth. 

His guardian left swiftly— gone in the space of a breath— and he was left alone. 

Or maybe... 

Aimed his way was a charming grin and Akira couldn’t help noticing the stranger’s ridiculously gleaming hair, pretty hands, and— 

“It’s nice to meet you, ah—” 

“You can call me Akira, Sakura-san.” 

The easy smile on the other’s face twisted by the slightest of tells, yet still enough to be caught. 

“That is not necessary. Please feel free to refer to me informally. Goro is more than fine.” 

_Goro was his name._

He nodded in a simple acceptance and Goro’s expression seemed strained for the merest of moments, no doubt searching for further words. Awkwardness stirred, taut in the air, oppressively bearing down between them. 

Akira shuffled his feet, gaze dropping down, once more. 

Yet Goro was persistent. Akira had given him absolutely nothing at all, but still, he opened his mouth and he _tried_. “If you’d like… I could make you some coffee? I’m not as talented as my father, but I can still manage a decent cup… probably.” 

Akira head shot straight up, looking back into the gaze he’d been determinedly trying to avoid. But this time, as he held the stare, his mouth curved into a slow smile; he leaned just a bit into the other’s space. “I’d like that.” 

Goro’s expression took a turn for the pleased. “Great!” 

“Great,” Akira echoed, still smiling. 

Leaning against the bar, Akira watched Goro work, or more accurately, fumble his way through the coffee-making process. The other boy was so earnest in his attempts, but even Akira could tell he was quite hopeless. Suffusing slowly and sinking was a warmth he had forgotten. How quickly things had become unfamiliar, turned on their head. _How quickly everyone had_—Akira took a breath and made his way closer. Goro didn’t even notice his approach, too engrossed in his task. 

“Would you like some help?” 

The slight jump betrayed Goro’s shock. Akira hid a smile. The slightest of flushes ran up a long neck, and he raptly watched the progression. 

“Oh! No! I couldn’t possibly. Not when I was the one to offer. I can at least do this much.” 

“As a disciple of Sojiro?” Akira questioned, impish. 

Goro turned his way and unexpectedly winked. “Something like that.” 

So Akira simply watched, smile growing more indulgent by the moment. 

Held in comfortable silence, they sat together. It was peaceful. Somehow, despite just meeting, _it was peaceful_. Akira could physically feel muscles unwinding, stress easing out of stiff shoulders, as he slumped further and further into his seat. 

_Relaxed. _

<del>For the first time since—</del>

The steam of the hot coffee, set out on the dark-grain of the counter before him, fogged his glasses, but he didn’t make any movements to remove them. At least, he hadn’t until Goro pointed it out, “You have a little something—” with a light laugh. 

Akira tried to examine his glasses, eyes going cross-eyed. “You know. I don’t even actually need these.” He removed them; instead, placing them onto Goro’s face. 

Goro just hummed, accepting the gift without a comment, more interested in examining Akira’s now glasses-free face. 

“Do I have something else on my face or are you just that charmed by my looks?” he couldn’t help filling the sudden silence, the tease coming out as easily as breathing. 

“No.” The curious stare stayed on his. 

“So you aren’t charmed? How disappointing.” The pout he added for dramatic effect was embarrassingly more honest than he was willing to admit, even to himself. 

“Oh! No, that’s not what I meant at all! I—” 

Akira looked into widened eyes and couldn’t help prolonging Goro’s panic for a bit before allowing the mirth he had been holding to flow free. 

“I didn’t mean to imply that I wasn’t enjoying your company—” 

“—I know. You’re fine.” 

“It’s just…” 

“Just?” Curiosity peaked, Akira couldn’t help the question. 

Goro turned away for the first time. He watched the way his tentative friend chewed on his lip in contemplation before glancing back towards him. 

“Come on. Tell me. What is it?” Akira wheedled. 

Goro huffed out a sigh before turning to him with narrowed eyes. “Pardon me if this sounds rude in any way… My father had mentioned a delinquent was moving in upstairs, but you don’t strike me as such, Akira.” 

Only now realizing how closely he was sitting to Goro, he leaned away, expression dropping away. Goro followed him; unaware of his obvious retreat or uncaring, Akira didn’t know. He only quirked his lips into a humorless smile and changed the topic. Drastically. “Hey, you wanna’ see something?” 

Goro quirked his head to the side slightly, acknowledging the topic change but not commenting; and emboldened, Akira stood, gesturing for his newly-made acquaintance to follow. 

They quietly made their way up the rickety steps and into the dusty expanse that was the attic space of Leblanc— now Akira’s new ‘home.’ 

Goro sneezed lightly. He moved to apologize for the dust he still hadn’t removed, but the other boy just moved past him, taking in the minute changes Akira had made to make the space more homey in the scant moments he had before Shujin— before the whirlwind that today had turned out to be. 

Stuffing his hands into his pockets, he tilted his head. “What do you think?” 

He didn’t know what he expected. Barely accustomed to what was now his new world, he had showed it, bared it to another. Akira hadn’t thought; he hadn’t been thinking. Shifting attention from one area he didn’t want highlighted, he still, somehow, had circled around to what he had refused. Reality was staring him in the face and he had asked for a judge and executioner. With how long Goro had kept his silence before an answer was spoken, Akira had sunk further than he intended. It was the first moment he had, since _everything_, to just stop and catch a breath and Goro said— “I like what you’ve done with it.” 

“You can be honest.” He twisted his mouth, shrugging one shoulder lightly. 

“No, I mean it. It’s nice. I like it. _Really_.” Staring into his friend’s unblinking stare, he only found sincerity. And. The ice melted. 

Akira smiled, a true, sunny smile bursting; Goro answered with his own. 

He didn’t know how long they stood there like that, but eventually a meow interrupted them. They both turned their heads as one to the source, and Akira couldn’t help another fond expression. Suddenly, it was all just coming forth, right out of him into the new world he had been given. 

Akira gestured forward grandly, arms moving in an exaggerated flourish. “And this is Morgana.” 

Amused by his antics, Goro laughed lightly to himself before slowly approaching. 

“Oh, nice to meet you…” Goro looked his way questioningly; Akira only nodded encouragingly, mouthing the name, “... Morgana was it?” 

A hiss met the greeting. Goro leapt back so quickly Akira hadn’t even noticed him move. He blinked slowly in shock before turning Morgana’s way, question held in the quirk of his brow. Morgana merely turned his head up in a huff and trotted away, no explanation given. 

Mystified, he turned back to Goro. “I would tell you that he hates all strangers or something… but truth be told, I just found him today.” He frowned, looking in the direction where Morgana had wandered off. 

“It’s fine, Akira.” And promptly turned back. “Unfortunately, as much as I would like to stay longer, I need to be going. But truly, it was so wonderful to meet you. If you need someone to show you around, I would be more than happy to do so.” 

Looking into Goro’s earnest face, how could he say no? The acceptance slipped from his lips without a thought. Too easily. Too readily. He chased the sun. 

_That was his first mistake._

  


**Author's Note:**

> Track fic progress at my [PiFo](https://www.pillowfort.social/minium/tagged/HMTOD) or come scream at me at my [Tumblr](https://o-minium.tumblr.com/) (if you want).


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